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Page 5
The other quarter final matches did not prove to be quite as dramatic, although they still provided a fairly high level of excitement and quality. Monica Seles and Serena Williams battled it out in a match between hard-hitting baseliners, much like that of Davenport and Pierce. Seles capitalised on Williams's errors to take the opening set 6-4. However, Serena had too much power off the ground and off the serve and increased her consistency to overwhelm the former champion in the final two sets 6-3 6-2. Hingis routed Anke Huber in straight sets, dropping the first two games, but taking the next 12 for the match in an encounter played in blustery conditions.
Most people predicted Hingis, Davenport and the Williams sisters as the four semi finalists for the US Open this year. However, many were still torn about picking the eventual champion. Davenport was the defending champion and looked to be on such a roll in her first four matches, having dropped only 10 games up to that point. Hingis was a former champion and a five-time Grand Slam winner and could not be ignored for her experience in big match situations. Many believed it was Venus Williams's chance for a first Grand Slam title, and after producing some great results over the summer, those predictions did not seem at all farfetched. But what about Serena Williams? She was the youngest of the bunch and the least experienced, especially at this stage of a big tournament. After all, she had not progressed past the fourth round of a major previously in her career. Picking her for the title with three other experienced and talented campaigners in the field remaining seemed like a long-shot. Although, perhaps not impossible...... The semi finals surely lived up to their billing. Serena Williams was not the favourite entering her match against Lindsay Davenport, but did own a winning head-to-head record against her more experienced opponent. Nevertheless, given that Willliams had never been in such a pressure situation in her career before, it was surprising that she was able to outplay her opponent on the big points. This was true especially on her serve where she was mixing up the pace and direction. More importantly, she was able to do bring out her big weapon on the big points and execute very successfully. A second set lapse did not deter Williams's determination as she upset Davenport in three tight, dramatic sets.
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